The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-08-20
TARIFF REFORM.

added the duty 10 the cost and reimbursed
himself out of the price TO the consumer.
OtberwIse none could be imported. ms
imported glass was about fourth OF all
that was used In America, and 1t not only
cost the people over four millions more
than II would II II had come In duty Tree
I'm, IL enabled the manufacturers OF glass
~ sell the other tbree.fourths fo' twelve
millions more than they could have sold IT
|, had It not been for the duty, That Is
after 90 years of enormous and steady pro-
lection, the people pay sl6,OOO,OOO per an.
nun more for their glass than 1t would
cost them IN the open markets OF the world
and this Is precisely the way the tar'i
.cheapen," glass To the consumer,
The manufacturers Of glass thus get
what there Is In it, The tariff enables
them 10 levy a tax Of twelve millions per
annum upon the country, while they pay
for labor total, as shown by the census,
OF but nine millions per annum. SO instead
of tariff 10 protect them against the ar
ference In labor cost of foreign and domes-
tic glass, II In fact levies tribute upon the
people, for their benefit, third greater
than the entire labor cost Of their glass.
That is, while complaining of cheap for,
eign labor, their own costs them nothing
AS the country gives them an apnual bonus
of over three millions more than the entire
amount they pay to their laborers. And
what do they give in return? Certainly
not cheaper glass. Is II higher wages
Let the Labor Unions make reply.
Instead Of cheaper glass, higher wages,
or steady employment, the manufacturers
combine TO keep the price of glass up to
the tariff limit. To do this they must con
fine and control the output,-must shut
down all the factories part of the time, or
part all of the time,-must, In word,
deprive the won ker in glass of employment,
AMI to proven, tramping and undertaking
for work; but too often the unemployed
become, through the Unions, charge upon
those who DO labor. In either event the
result Is the same--a lo,cering Of the leDel
Of UdgcS 10 tic hJOrer. Space permits but
a single illustration, though scores are ut
hand.
The window Glass Manufacturers AS
sociaticn" held convention at Long
Branch July nth, 1888, and, after passing
more stringent rules to protect and control
their combination, they then unanimously
passed the following:
"Res0iced, That the treasurer of this or
ganizttion be authorized and directed to
pay not exceeding S33 per head tor each
blower and gatherer brought over from
Europe after August 1st, 1888; Pr0rtded,
the men are employed by some member of
this association; aud provided further, that
they are not workmen who have been Ia
this country within the twelve months last
past"
Now this tells if own story We need
not wade through "two volumes bound In
calf" to see the force of this transaction.
The last exception WAS intended to prevent
hose glass workers who had returned TO
Europe being re-imrorted at the expense
IF the association, as they were not such
neu as the association desired. Aud fur
her, 1t Is not necessary to read between the
ines OF this resolution to see that there
vas more money In making thres-fourths
If our glass, at price up to the full tariff
INIT, than n making 1t all at lesser price
81, ike the rolling. mM barons, the glass
combine to put wages down
and prices up. Why, that the tariff raises
wages and cheapens glass, is so "clear
twould glimmer through blind mans
eye,'
The nation pays $47,oOo,oOO wholesale
for its glass. $l7,O00,000 of this Is tariff
taxation, --one. fourth Of which goes to the
treasury Of the United States, the other
three fourths to the glass manufacturers to
enable them to "cheapen glass to the con-
sumer and raise the wages of the laborer"
The manufacturer demands that tho gov
eminent protect him by prohibiting I'm
portaton of such produc. as he has to sell.
Blu. the glass worker has only his labor to
sell, and his employer demands that the
government protect the laborer by, not ex'
Guiding foreign labor, but by admitting 1t
free of duty! Nay, more; the employer
demands that the government shall Invite
the foreigner to come by promise OF free
lands and manhood suffrage, Nay, more ;
he meets In convention and appropriates
$33 per head to ship over that pauper labor
he pretends to fear, in platoons, to take the
place of the American glass worker, thus
driving him out to tramp for other employ
ment or starve. And this Is the way the
tariff protects the American glass worker
against the pauper labor OF Europe ano
gives him what there Is In it,
Had there been absolute free trade II
glass, manufacturers could not have com
bined, all our glass except peculiar qoaiitie
would have been manufactured here.
would have given to the consumer cheape
glass, to the laborer steady employment